


Against Destiny

by Set_WingedWarrior



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, Secret Santa Gift Exchange, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, with Blake's kitty ears still existing because I say so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:47:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28428033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Set_WingedWarrior/pseuds/Set_WingedWarrior
Summary: After witnessing to so much suffering, the Gods made a decision: every sentient being would be granted of asoulmark.A generous gift, but one that came with a price: the mark only appears on your 20th birthday.---In which Blake and Yang know they're soulmates, but are afraid they might be wrong.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, mentioned Coco Adel/Velvet Scarlatina
Comments: 8
Kudos: 150





	Against Destiny

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EruGhostCat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EruGhostCat/gifts).



> Happy Holigays to everyone, especially EruGhostCat!  
> You got me as your Secret Santa and I'm really sorry about that! xD I never wrote a Soulmate!AU before, I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm grateful for the sparks of inspiration I got in the last few days. I tried my best, and I hope you and everybody else will like it!  
> Happy holidays again, I wish you all a better 2021. 
> 
> Enjoy!

_Falling in love before the time is right is always a bad idea._

_It doesn’t sound so tragic, but it could lead to all sort of issues in all sorts of ways;_

_the right person at the wrong time, which mistakenly makes you believe it is not meant to be._

_Or the wrong person at the right time, who gets you into something that’s just not meant to work, something dysfunctional at best and toxic at worst… something that has a tendency to reveal itself too late and leads you to a bad end regardless, leaving you with the heavy awareness of how much time and effort got wasted._

_Sometimes, one isn’t quite ready yet, sometimes it’s the other, often it’s neither of them._

_There are infinite possibilities of how a love can go wrong, infinite combinations, but quite frankly, that’s not our concern right now. What really matter is the only thing that all those scenarios have in common: time._

_Time is the key; or at least that’s what the Gods thought. That’s why, after witnessing to so much suffering, they made a decision: every sentient being would be granted of a **soulmark**. Half of a tattoo of unique design, meant to be matching with its other half on their soulmate’s skin. A lead to your other half. _

_That was a generous gift, but one that came with a price: the soulmark only appears on your 20 th birthday, to ensure that every person would have the time to dedicate on figuring themselves out, to grow, and finally be ready. _

_Because of that one condition, young unmarked couples became a rare sight in the world. Almost no one would want to take the risk to get into a serious relationship, only to wake up one day with unmatching marks._

_After too many years of returned pining, Blake and Yang decided that they didn’t care._

***

“Tea: check. Sugar: check.”

Blake closes her brand-new copy of ‘Soulmark Legends’, caressing the soft leather cover “Why do you think soulmarks show up so late?”

Yang appears from the kitchen for the umpteenth time, going on with her preparations as if she didn’t hear her “Honey: check! Spoons: check-oh grapes, my cookies!” the blonde ran back to the kitchen at the oven’s ‘ping’.

Blake fondly rolls her eyes “Yang?”

“I heard you, I heard you!” she says, reappearing with a plate filled of hot cookies to place on the coffee table with everything else. Blake reaches out a hand to steal one, only for Yang to slap it “They’re too hot!”

“Answer my question then,” Blake counters, leaning back on the couch again with crossed arms “Why do we get out tattoos only at 20?”

“Next birthday I’m gifting you a pair of socks.” Yang teases her, plopping down beside her while Blake murmurs an indignant “Don’t you dare!”

“And to answer your question: I don’t know.” Yang shrugs her shoulders, placing an arm around Blake’s “Does it really matter? It’s not like we can change it.”

“I guess not,” Blake admits “but aren’t you curious? Why doesn’t it happen, I don’t know, when we get 13, or 21, or before we are even born?”

“Maybe the gods have a different idea of when adulthood hits!” the blonde answers jokingly.

Yang leans down to get a now cooler cookie, only for it to be stolen by Blake right from her hands. She decides to let it go; ‘birthday privileges’, and all of that. “…maybe they wanted to avoid sickening cute couples like us freely roaming around so young so soon.” she plants a quick kiss on Blake’s cheek instead, who hums pleased.

But then her ears lower.

“I kinda wish they set them up sooner…” Blake murmurs under her breath.

Today is Blake’s 20th birthday. People often makes big celebrations for the day the link with their soulmate is formed, but to the Faunus that was no reason to celebrate. Not when she already has Yang, not when that big change might be the reason she’s going to lose her and everything they had together. 

Blake puts her book aside, gently caressed her forearm; it’s the spot where her parent’s tattoos appeared. So, despite not being the same for everyone, it became a comforting gesture.

In reality, there are no rules: soulmarks don’t appear on a specific place, everybody’s different, and even soulmates can end up having their marks on different body parts.

“Like in one of your soulmate fanfics?” Yang playfully teases her “The red string of gal pals _!_ ”

Blake hit her with the same book she just gifted her “It’s the red string of _fate_ , you dork!”

It is said that the tattoos are set in such a way that they meet up and complete the picture only in the favorite way the couple hold each other, but Blake’s never been too sure about that.

What if it’s the opposite, and that becomes the favorite position because of their soulmarks touching instead? It’s not such a weird idea; Blake has seen her fair shar of awkward ones after all. On the other hand, her parents really love holding hands.

“You hurt me!” Yang whines, dramatically holding her side “Your girlfriend, with her own birthday present!” she then spreads out all over Blake, somehow even more dramatically “You’re heartless!”

“Idiot.” Said girlfriend says, pushing her off of her.

Blake knows what Yang is doing, and it’s partially working as it stripped a laugh out of her, but it’s not enough to let her worries disappear.

“Yang, maybe we should-“

“No.” Blake is about to say something else, but Yang interrupts her once more “I know that look. But the only thing you should worry about today is what movie to watch on your special day.” She says, with soft voice, holding Blake’s body closer to hers.

Blake looks down. She doesn’t feel better at all.

Yang sighs “I’m sorry for interrupting you. It was harsh and I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay.” Blake’s still looking down. Yang knows it’s not because of her.

“Hey.” The blonde cups her jaw, encouraging Blake to look at her “I know you’re scared,” Yang is too, but she can’t say that right now “but we already talked about this. It doesn’t matter what or where our tattoos will appear; we are meant for each other.” Yang’s gentle thumb caresses her cheek, accompanying her soft words.

Yang’s embraces her once more and Blake let herself be held, basking on the comfort Yang’s body provides.

“I feel it too,” she admits, hidden in the safety of Yang’s chest, as if telling it to her face might turn it into a lie “but I’m still scared of what it would mean if we’re not soulmates. Of how things would change.”

“It wouldn’t change anything for us.” Yang speaks confidently, the same confidence she already showed before every time that conversation came up “Not all soulmates are meant to be romantic; and I know the two of us, instead, are.” Yang looks down with a loving smile and brings Blake’s hand to her lips, kissing her knuckles. “Besides, shouldn’t a bond forged by choice be _stronger_ than any predestinated fate?”

Maybe it is. All the work and effort, all the risks taken instead of choosing the easy route, the path already made and pointed by someone else. It was worth something, it had to mean something.

No maybes “You’re right.” That _is_ something stronger than fate, something worth fighting for.

“Of course I am!” Yang says, cheerful and confident as always “But now, let’s put aside all the angst and get our night started!”

Yang runs one last check in, makes sure that everything is in place and on arms reach, and takes down the couch’s blanket too, putting it around each other nice and warm.

“Okay, I guess we’re ready!” to good measures, she kisses Blake once more “Now. Did you choose the movie, birthday girl?”

“…”

“Blake?”

“……no?”

“You had one job!” Yang dramatically hits her with a pillow. Blake fights back, and both girls laugh as they have an unscheduled pillow fight.

Eventually, the couple got their movie night.

Empty teacups set on the coffee table, cookie crumbs fell all over the couch and ground around, and the two girls are sleeping cuddled up to each other, with only their blanket and shared body heat to protect them from the cold of January.

Around midnight, Blake’s peaceful slumber is disturbed by something. She wakes up, still too sleepy to identify the anomaly. A soft snore caught her attention instead, and Blake smiles at the sight of a peaceful sleeping Yang.

Blake leaves a kiss on Yang’s forehead, then on the corner of her lips, lingering just a little bit more. Yang sighs contently in her sleep and tighten her hold on Blake, who gets back comfortable against her.

Slumber is about to get her again, when the faint distant thought of her soulmark gets back to her. Blake doesn’t do anything about it, letting sleep claim her.

Being close to Yang was far more important than some magical tattoo.

***

Blake never checked for her tattoo.

She couldn’t stay unaware obviously, finding out was inevitable, but she sure does act like it.

She never mentions, never says a word about how it felt like to get (as she’s one of the firsts in their group of friends getting it), never giving not even the most subtle or accidental indication of where it might be located.

She doesn’t even wear anything new or unusual that might give a suggestion of where it might be masked or covered, or what it looks like. Nothing.

Everything is exactly the same, as if nothing changed, as if Blake didn’t just reach the peak of her growth (at least by their society’s standards).

Nobody knows anything about it. Blake keeps her soulmark and any indication about it hidden, close to her chest. Not even Yang knows.

Especially Yang.

The couple never needed to keep secrets to each other. Exception made for maybe surprise dates, or presents, they never needed to. Nothing changed between them; it’s just weird.

Yang fully respects her girlfriend’s wishes and privacy, knowing that if Blake wanted to share then she would have done it already, but it would be a lie if she said she’s not curious.

What if Blake’s ashamed? Is it because she doesn’t want to carry something that might not be Yang’s? Does she already know, can she _feel_ it? Is she afraid that Yang’s the one able to actually tell if it’s not hers, just by looking at it?

“Is it that ugly?” Yang asks instead, with a teasing smile, one of the few times they actually talk about it. The question only gets her a pillow thrown at her face, and after that she doesn’t really mention or talk about it ever again.

As already mentioned, Yang does value Blake’s comfort. She doesn’t know that not any of her theories are true.

Blake holds some fear, sure, but it’s not the reason she stubbornly hid her tattoo to the world and, to some extent, to herself.

Her real goal is not to give Yang any expectation. She doesn’t want to see Yang’s hopeful eyes, at her 20th birthday, turn into disappointment at the discovery of her own soulmark.

Blake doesn’t want Yang to be disappointed and hateful of her mark, part of her _soul_ , just because it’s not Blake’s matching half. Yang’s always been so selfless, so caring, and she deserves that much.

Luckily, it doesn’t turn out as hard as she expected, and soon the 28th of July arrives.

Upbeat songs are blasting through the speakers, and friends and classmates dance at the rhythm of the music. The lunch table is temporarily designate as buffet table for the night, and is filled with food and snacks and drinks varieties, but mostly with empty plastic cups since everybody kept forgetting which cup is whose and ended up just getting a new one.

Weiss would have had an aneurysm already, if it wasn’t for the alcohol in her body.

_Bless it._

Blake’s not usually a party person, too much noise bothering her and her poor cat hears, but what else could have she done? It’s Yang’s birthday after all.

At least Yang had the decency to spare her the trip to some packed dance club, and only invited over people Blake was already friends or at least familiar with.

She didn’t have to, Blake left Yang free room to do anything she wanted for her special day, and she consciously choose to keep her comfort in mind.

Just one more reason Blake loves her so much.

A pair of familiar arms embraces Blake from behind, distracting her from the hilarious sight of a drunk Neptune trying and failing to dance.

“Watcha doing?” Yang asks from her spot on Blake’s shoulder, giving her a tight squeeze.

“Oh, you know, enjoying the show.” Neptune falls on his ass, making the whole drunken crew laugh “How about you? Wanna start opening your presents?”

“Not now; I’ve already got the best one right here.” Blake’s face flushes and Yang squeezes her once more.

Drunk Yang has always been the cuddly one, but her tipsy self isn’t much better.

Blake doesn’t complain. “Dork.” she says, but still turns around to kiss her.

They end up making out in a corner, because _of_ _course_ they are. Yang, trapped in between the wall and her girlfriend, is more than ready to call it a night, send everyone home and enjoy the feeling of Blake’s lips on her skin for the rest of the night.

Blake is the one stopping her, not wanting to waste her party. “You can always unwrap your present later.” She says with a wink, and Yang is sure she’s about to die.

Yang pouts and looks away behind Blake. Neptune has left the dancefloor, leaving space for the people who can actually dance. Among these, a couple stands out: Coco and Velvet.

The two of them swing around, following the happy melody with happy steps, showing off their soul bond.

Coco and Velvet are some of the first people in their group of friends getting their soulmarks. It was with surprise and joy that they discovered to be each other’s soulmate.

What are the chances to find your life partner in your own group of friends just like that, at first try?

_What are the chances that something like that can happen twice within the same group?_

Yang shakes her head to chase the thought away, deciding to give the attention back to her beautiful girlfriend.

“How about we show them how it’s done?” she says, gesturing to their friends with her head.

Blake follows Yang’s eyes, then smiles slyly at her “Let’s do this.”

Blake accepts Yang’s offering hand and the couple dances as if it’s their last time. 

***

The party is over.

Guests left Yang and Blake’s shared home, safely (they made sure of that), and the couple is left alone to clean up after the mess.

Or, that’s what they should be doing. But Blake interrupted Yang the moment the blonde leaned down to recover some discarded plastic cups.

“Don’t you want to get your present?”

So, cleaning duties are postponed to the next day since Yang decided that kissing Blake is way more important at the moment.

Blake is ready and smirks against her lips, getting her arms around Yang and tugging her forward. This time, she ends up against the wall, but Blake doesn’t mind. She fully enjoys the position; Yang’s warm body is pressed against hers, and she can feel how it shivers when she lightly scratches her nape.

Yang groans and moves away from Blake’s lips to her neck for revenge, ignoring her girlfriend’s whine of disappointment.

“Fuck, Yang!” Blake complains, touching the sensitive skin of her newmade hickey “Now I’ll need to cover it!”

Yang just smirks, completely unbothered “I know you like it.” She says, leaning to leave a soft kiss over the tender skin.

“Oh yeah?” despite her complains, Blake moves to give her more access, and chances, to make more damage “If you know me so well then, what do I want now?”

Yang interrupts her kisses “Oh, that’s easy.” She brings her hands on the back of Blake’s tights “You want me to take you,” she picks her up “and bring you to the bedroom.”

Blake crosses her legs on Yang’s back, getting more comfortable and stable “Then maybe you should do that.”

Yang walks fast and precise despite Blake’s distracting kisses, even managing to turn the lights on, and gently lays her on their bed.

They just keep making out and touching each other, savoring their tastes, and feelings, and the anticipation.

Everything seems to be going well, their jackets being their only discarded clothes yet as they’re taking their time, but something seems to change when Blake’s shirt rolls up and shows the tiniest hint of skin.

“Yang?”

Yang just freezes for a moment, and gets her attention back to her girlfriend right away “Yeah?”

Blake knows that tone “Are you okay?” she asks, the atmosphere changed, she can feel it, and gets up to cup Yang’s cheek.

“Yeah, I’m just-sorry, it’s dumb!” Yang hides in Blake’s chest, settling over her.

Blake sighs “You’re not dumb.” She doesn’t force her to face her just yet, focusing on petting her hair and making her feel comfortable “What’s wrong?”

“The lights are on. I might see it.”

Blake’s eyes widen.

“Oh.”

This is far from their first time; even after Blake’s birthday, she endeavored to not give up on their intimacy, often with the help of the darkness. But there’s no darkness this time.

Blake curses herself for not noticing before, Yang’s worried gaze being a blow to her heart “It’s okay, we can just-“

“What if they don’t match?”

“…what?”

“What if they don’t match?” Yang repeats, and it’s finally clear to Blake what her real worry is about; doesn’t matter how unexpected it is.

“Are you… afraid that they won’t?”

“Of course I am!” Blake jolts a bit at the unexpected higher voice. Yang sighs, feeling a little guilty about it “I’m sorry. I just-“ she sighs again. Unable to find the words, she just sits at the head of the bed and hugs her knees.

Blake sits beside her, putting a protective arm around her shoulders.

“Yang… we already talked about it.” Blake feels a sense of deja-vu, but fights the instinct to repeat the exact same words Yang said to her endless times before. “Why didn’t you say anything?” she asks instead.

“You were already scared, showing my own doubts wouldn’t have helped. I just couldn’t.” it’s not hard to believe. Yang always put others before her, always puts _Blake_ before her. “But it’s just a matter of hours now, and the truth is…”

“The truth is?” Blake gently encourages, with tender eyes and an understanding smile.

“The truth is I’m afraid. I’m afraid that our marks will be different. That your real match, the other half of your tattoo, will appear one day and take you away from me. That you’ll decide someday that I’m not worth it, and go searching for the other half of your soul on your own.”

“Yang…” Blake holds her close, firmly against herself, trying to give Yang all the comfort and make that painful thoughts go away “I’ll never leave you. You already told me countless times: we are meant for each other, soulmates or not. Our feelings don’t lie.”

Blake gently brushes a tear away, the same way Yang did with her all the times she was the scared one, then leans down to kiss her.

It’s chaste, and comforting, and it helps.

“Our feelings don’t lie.” Yang repeats after her. Their foreheads touch, and the couple just enjoys the closeness in silence for a moment.

“Do you feel better?”

“Yeah… thank you.”

“Don’t mention it, it’s just what you always told me. You should really listen to yourself more often, you know?”

“You’re right again.” Yang giggles.

“So, if everything’s settled.” Blake smirks slyly and moves a leg over Yang’s hips to straddle her, her arms linking behind her neck “would you like to continue what we started?”

Yang smirks, moving her hands over Blake’s waist, her voice is soft and sweet “Nothing would make me happier”

Blake offers one last soft smile, before leaning on the bedside and switching the lights off.

When morning comes, Yang is laying over Blake, in between her legs, with her head on her bare chest and hear over her heart, lulled by her beloved’s heartbeat. Blake’s hands are gently caressing the blonde’s locks, occasionally wandering on her back’s soft skin.

It’s warm, and soft, and intimate. It’s just perfect, how it’s meant to be.

Yang slowly opens her eyes. The first thing she sees is the light coming from the window. She looks away, damning herself for forgetting to close the tents the night before, and projects her look towards the much more welcomed sight of her girlfriend.

Blake stirs, then hugs Yang closer, not quite ready to wake up yet. Yang was about to follow the example, when she saw it.

Blake’s tattoo.

It’s half of a yellow burning heart, where from the center to its flames shades color to a light purple, situated right below her belly.

And its mirror’s image is resting on Yang’s chest, right over her own heart.

Yang laughs, and cries, and can’t help waking up her _soulmate_.

“Blake!” she shakes her, with gentle urgent and a teary smile “Blake, look!”

“Yang?” Blake, still sleepy, wakes up immediately at the sight of tears “Yang! Are you okay?”

“I’m great!” she hugs her and laughs again “Look!”

Blake looks down, and she can’t believe it. Tears fill her eyes as she brings her hands to her mouth “It’s…”

“I told you we were meant to be.” Yang smiles, and leans down to kiss her again.

The couple laugh, and cry, and kiss, all over again, uncaring of anything and everything that is not each other because they are soulmates. _They are soulmates!_

They were right, they’ve always been!

And as they kiss and hold each other, they realize that there’s one thing they got wrong. Because it isn’t true that nothing changed; _everything_ changed.

It changed for the better.

***

_Soulmarks are a gift made to help humanity find their match… but that’s just it._ _They’re not the reason you love someone; they’re nothing more but a lead, and one not everyone needs. Sometimes a good feeling is all you need to find each other._

_And for Blake and Yang, that’s been enough._


End file.
